Spiral bed-spring.



W. E. FRANK.

SPIRAL BED SPRING.

APPUCATION FILED MAY8.1916.

Patented N0v 6, 191? "Tm llllllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

WILLIAM E. FRANK, ST. LOUIS, HISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 FOSTER BROTHERS MANU-FACTUBING GOMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI,

srman run-seams.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. FRANK, acitizen of the United States, residing at St. .Louis, Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spiral Bed- Springs, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it up ertains to make anduse the same. his invention relates to bed springs and spring seats ofthe type that comprise a plurality of vertically-disposed spiral springsarranged in the same horizontal plane and 'tied. together 'in such amanner that they 1| form a resilient supporting structure.

Structures of the type referred to are usually equipped with a top frameand a bottom frame between which the springs are arranged and to whichthe top and bottom so coils of the springs at the outer edge of thestructure are connected, the top and bottom coils of the intermediatesprings either being tied to cross members of said frames C or beingtied together by short coiled springs 28 or other suitable tying devicesthat tendto hold said springs in parallel relation to each other. Inview of the fact that the spiral springs constitute the only connectionbetween the top and bottom frames of the 80 structure, there is atendency for the top frame to move laterally out of vertical alinement'with the bottom frame whenever the load on the top frame is apalied toone edge of same as for example, w en a person 86 sits on one edge ofthe structure. The result is, that the spiral springs of structures ofthe character referred to soon become bent or twisted out of shape bythe lateral movement imparted to the top framewhen a load 40 is imposedon one edge of the structure.

' The main ob ect of. my invention is to provide a structure of thecharacter referred to which is so designed that --the--top frame cannotmove laterally sufficiently with re- 46 lation to the bottom frame tocause the spiral springsto be bent or twisted out of shape objects anddesirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of a portion of a doublecone spiral bed spring constructed in accordance'with my nvention.

Flg. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of same, taken on the line 22of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a single cone spiral bedspring constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a detail top plan view, illustrating the means used in the bedspring shown 1n Fig. 3 for connecting the truss to the top coils of someof the intermediate springs.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, which illustrate one form ofmy invention, A and B designate the top and bottom frames, respectively,of a spiral bed spring, spring seat or similar structure, and

designates a plurality of vertically-disposed spiral springs that arearranged between said frames, the springs C at the outer Patented Nov.6, 1917.

edge of the structure having their to and bottom coils connected to theframes and- B and the intermediate springs having their top and bottomcoilstied together and also connected to the corresponding coils of thespringsv of the outer edge of the structure by any suitable means, such,for example, as by tie members 1 and 2 that extend longitudinally andtransversely of the structure and which are connected to the marginalframes A and B. All of the parts above referred to are ofiwell knownconstruction, and so'far as my broad idea is concerned, it is immaterialhow the frames A and B are, constructed or how the springs Cv are tiedto each other and to said frames.

In order to prevent the structure from losing its shape, I have providedthe structure with a means that tends-to prevent the top frame A frommoving laterally in either direction with relation to the bottom frameB, when a load is imposed on 'one' ofthe side edges of said top frame.Various means maybe used for this purpose without departing from thespirit of my invention, but I prefer to use a means of the char- ,acterherein shown which consists of one or more truss-shaped stays arrangedbetween the top and bottom frames and connected to same or to the meansthattlee. the springs frame A or the to the top coils of four togetherand holds them tion. In the embodiment of my invention illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2, wherein double cone spiral springs are used, one or morestays of substantially double truss form are employed for the purposementioned. Said stay or stays are formed from material that hassufiicient resiliency or flexibility to provide for the elongation andcompression of the springs C, and each stay is arranged verticallybetween two rows of springs in such a manner that it extendstransversely of the structure, as shown in Fig. l. The top and bottomportions of the' stay D are connected to the top and bottom coils, ofsome of the intermediate springs C, andriii the structure is providedwith an intermediate frame E, as shown herein, connected to the springsC at the centers of same, as is usual in double cone spiral bed springs,the stay D will be so arranged that it surrounds or embraces the sidemembers of intermediate frame E. lhe stay D is in parallel relasaidpreferably formed'from a fiat strip or strips of material that has moreor less resiliency, and while it is immaterial what means is employedfor connecting said stay to the top and bottom portions. ofthe'structure, 1 prefer to connect the top portion of the stay of theintermediate springs by means of two clips 3 and connect the bottomportion of the stay to the bot-- tom coils of said springs by means oftwo clips 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each of said clips being rivetedor connected in any other suitable manner to the stay and having its endportions bent over or wrapped around thecoils of the springs with whichit coiiperates, as shown in Fig. l. While I have stated that the stay Dis connected to the top and bottom coils of some of the intermediatesprings C, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limitedto such a structure, and it is immaterial, so far as my broad idea isconcerned, what parts of the structure the stay or stays D are connectedto, so long as they are combined with the structure insuch a manner thatthey tend to resist lateral movement of the upper portion of thestructure with relation to the lower portion. The stay or stays D do notvinterfere with the free vertical movement of the spiral springs C, inview of the fact that said stays are formed from material that has moreor less resiliency, and they efiectively prevent the top top portion ofthe structure from moving laterally with relation to the bottom frame orbottom portion of the structure when a heavy load is imposed on one ofthe side edges of the top portion of the structure. Consequently saidstay or stays hold the structure in shape and prevent the spiral springsC of same from being bent or twisted out of the vertical of the bottomframe B,

any tendency one edge of the top portion of menace position they aresupposed to occupy. In Fig. 3 of the drawings 1 have illustrated astructure embodying my invention that is equipped with single conespiral springs C, the top and bottom frames A and B of the structurebeing formed from pieces of angle iron. Said structure is provided withone or more single truss-shaped stays D arranged in substantially thesame manner as the stay D, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and having its outerends connected to the bottom frame B or the structure and itsintermediate portion connected to the top part of the structure. Theends of the stay D are preferably connected by rivets or other suitabledevices 4- to the two side members and the upper portion of the stay isconnected to the top coils of four of the intermediate springs C bymeans of two crossed clips l connected to the stay D by a rivet or othersuitable fastening device 5 and having their end portions bent over orwrapped around the top coils of the springs with which they colipcrate,as shown in Fig. 5. The stays D are flexible enough so that they willnot interfere with the free movement of the spiral springs C, but inview of the fact that said stays are connected to the top and bottomportions of the structure, they counteract for the top frame A tomovelaterally when a load is imposed on one of the side edges of same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. A structure of the character described, comprising a plurality ofvertically-disposed, spiral springs arranged in the same orizontal planeand tied together, a top frame and a bottom frame combined with saidsprings, and a stay rigidly secured to the bottom of the structure andto the top coils of some of the intermediate springs for preventing thetop'portion of the structure from moving laterally with relation to thebottom portion when a load is imposed on the structure.

2. A structure of the character described, comprising a plurality ofspiral springs arranged vertically and combined with a top frame and abottom frame that tend to hold said springs in parallel relation, and atransversely-disposed stay which tends to prevent said springs fromassuming an angular position when a load is applied to one edge of thestructure, said stay being ,iormed from a strip of metal hat is more orless resilient and having its upper portion connected to the upper endof some of the intermediate springs and its lower portion rigidlyconneoted to said bottom frame.

3. A structure of the character described, comprising a plurality ofspiral springs arranged in an upright position so as to..

form a resilient supporting structure, top and bottom frames combinedwith said springs, and a truss-shaped stay arranged transversely of thestructure and connected intermediate its ends to the top portion of thestructure at about the center of same and having its lower side rigidlyconnected to said bottom frame; for the purpose described.

4. A structure of the character described,

comprising a plurality of vertically-disposed, spiral springs that forma resilient supporting structure, and a truss-shaped stay rigidlyconnected to the bottom portion of said structure and to theintermediate portion of the top of the structure; for the purposedescribed.

5. A structure of the character described, comprising a top frame, abottom frame, spiral springs arranged between said frames and connectedto each other and also to said frames, and a truss-shaped stayinterposed between said frames and having its lower portion rigidlyconnected to said bottom frame and the intermediate part of its upperportion connected to the end coils of some of the intermediate springs.

6. A structure of the character described provided with a plurality ofvertically-disposed, spiral springs that act collectively to form aresilient supporting structure, and a truss-shaped stay arrangedtransversely of the structure and rigidly connected to the end coils ofa number of the intermediate springs of the structure so as to preventthe top portion of thestructure from moving laterally with relation tothe bottom portion of the structure.

7. A structure of the character described, comprisingvertically-disposed spiral springs, a truss shaped stay arrangedvertically between certain of said springs, and a clip connected to saidtruss and to the end coils of a plurality of springs between which thestay is arranged.

8. In a structure of the character described, a vertically-disposed stayof double truss form, double cone springs arranged vertically onopposite sides of said stay, and connections between the top and bottomportions of said stay and the top and bottom coils of some of theintermediate springs.

9. A spiral bed spring, comprising atop frame, a bottom frame, doublecone spiral springs arranged between said frames, means for tying saidsprings together and to said frames, and, a double truss arrangedtransversely of the structure and having its top and bottom portionsrigidly connected to the top and bottom coils of some of theintermediate springs.

WILLIAM E. FRANK.

